The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

We listened to music in your dorm room early into the morning as the empathogens from the night faded. You played this Lauren Hill album. We talked about family. We talked about friends. We talked about love. We talked about your early life in Botswana. When the song To Zion came on, we became silent as it felt like the world stopped for us to listen. It was the most beautiful song I had heard. Soon the dorm came to life and it was time for me to go. That was our first and last time meeting. It was my first and last time listening to this song. It was the last time until today. This was the most beautiful song I've heard. I can't remember being this touched by a song before. Ten stars.

avoids melody like she avoids tax

This album was everywhere when it was released, the hype was crazy. It was hailed as this ground breaking thing, the best of the best, it won all the awards. It's decent enough, a fairly pleasant listen, but I never did understand why all the over the top praise for it. It's fine.

Went on for too long.

Listened to tool instead

Lauryn Hill is iconic in her genre, and this is her most iconic album. A great inspiration for a lot of RnB and Hip Hop artists in the 00s and 10s. Many people may dislike the skits, but it adds to the narrative here, which has a complex backdrop of different samples and instruments, overlayed on hard kicks and beats that you expect from Hip Hop / R n B. All of it blends to give a truly 00s sound ahead of it's time. I could give a break down of every song but it would take too many words. Just know that there is a lot of range here, there is everything from acoustic guitar and gospel over beats, to more funky soulful tracks. I love this album if you haven't noticed already.

Great stuff. A great mix of different genres. Heard elements of Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, Bob Marley etc. It's got really good flow throughout the whole album too. Ex Factor and Doo Wop stand out but no miss on the whole album. A shame it was her only solo studio album, maybe she felt like she couldn't top it.

Nowhere near as good as people think it is. 3 or 4 decent songs the rest is filler. A bang average R&B album.

Really disappointed with this, expected it to blow me away but found it mostly annoying

A real struggle to get through. Headache-inducing and painful to listen to (not in a good way). Faves-Forgive Them Father slightly less grating than some of the others. Actually, second half of the album may be a little less irritating. Still absolutely hated it, overall.

By 1998, I was pretty much out of tune with a lot of mainstream American culture. Obviously, not to the point where I didn’t know who Lauryn Hill or the Fugees were, this record and The Score were massively popular among my peers at my Catholic high school, but I was going to see punk and hardcore shows for $5 or $7 at the local VFW. The idea of following what was popular or which star was on top week to week was futile and uninteresting to me. It’s just not the lane I operated in. Still isn’t, as a matter of fact. So, as I listen to this record, I’m finding it well crafted, well performed (I always thought Lauryn Hill had a fantastic voice) and engaging. It has held up extremely well for a 25 year old record. It’s definitely enjoyable and I understand why it was and still is considered great. I think maybe the classroom interstitial breaks are a little overdone and the flow of the record is stilted as a result, but that’s a minor complaint. The thing is, music like this doesn’t really resonate with me like it does for a lot of the world. I don’t know why that is. I love a lot of hip hop, r&b, and soul music. It is something I think about a lot: what is it about some well produced, objectively great popular music that doesn’t move the needle for me? Maybe it’s that even when it’s making a bold statement like the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill does, it still feels…kind of safe? That could be a great strength, though, like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. (Huh, wow…that metaphor literally just came up in “Forgive them Father” - I might be closer to the truth than I thought). Maybe I need to take that view for a record like this. Yes, it is designed to appeal to as many people as possible, but it’s got a message that subverts and questions cultural norms…and that is an important an admirable trait for a record to have.

starts off sounding like lofi then becomes funny woman rap..... k. second track pretty good. i guess the third track is ok. fith track is shit :). everything lowkey starting to sound the same. track 12 has a good backing i wanna say its a violoin but like its ruined by shit and isnt enough. holy shit too many repeated lrlishs please help stop -please. right i know you baught a drum mechiene but i dont care please use somehting elese please. the ends allright i guess but still shit album shit house 0/10. but accualy its fine i guess not my thing but yea still personlay its a but too much of the same and becasue its stuff of the same that i dont reely like its not good so still 2/10

I had my expectations set way too high for this one. It has some really lovely moments but you have to sit through some really boring moments to get to them. I will try revisiting when I'm stoned later and see if that changes anything.

Doo Wop (that thing) is a cracking track... The rest of this album gets boring real quick. Urgh. The cover songs are genuinely awful.

I remember this being really popular when it came out, but I thought it was shit. It was everywhere for some reason. Yeah, still shit. Just boring rap/r&b, riddled with dumb skits and of fucking COURSE it goes for over an hour. Didn't anyone in this genre take any interest in quality control after about 1993? Fuck's sake. 2/5.

Not a fan of this, I'm getting bored listening to it.

Way worse than I remembered it to be

Could this album be any longer? I get that this is a progressive album hearing life perspectives from the female side, and the whole classroom vibe at the end of some of the songs being about learning fitting into the vibe of the album cover and title. But sheesh it gave me a headache and almost put me to sleep at work. Any way something could have been cut from it's 77 minute track list? Best: Can't Take My Eyes Off You (I Love You Baby) Worst: When It Hurts So Bad

I bought tickets to Soulfest 2015 in Sydney almost solely because Lauryn Hill was scheduled. I was devastated when the festival was cancelled a week out. But earlier this year I saw Lauryn Hill perform a Miseducation 25th anniversary show in Sydney. She had the flu and almost no voice. She apologized profusely, sang mostly in her lower register, and by the end of the show her rapping sounded like a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. But Lauryn Hill on her worst day (and I'm sure she would think this was one of her worst shows) was awesome. She gave a performance that left everything out on the floor. She was gracious, generous, and giving to the audience. I am firmly of the belief that Lauryn hill is one of the great artist of our time, and that is mainly on the basis of this album. The songwriting is personal without being self-obsessed, and covers an encyclopedia of emotions. The tunes are great. She can sing like an angel, and her flow is outstanding. There is so much in here, Even the deep cuts are gems that offer up a lot. I often drop 'Lost Ones' into my DJ sets; it wasn't a hit, but it bangs. This album helped restore my faith in hip-hop, after nearly a decade of increasingly violent gangsta albums. I could live without the skits (a common complaint with hip hop albums), but otherwise, this is as close to perfect album as I could imagine. I could listen to it every day. At the show, she did say she had more music and that it would get released, and I really hope that is true. Miseducation is a wonderful album encompassing the concerns of a young woman, and Lauryn Hill has a place in history even if she never releases another else. But I believe that she has another album this good in her that could speak to her experiences as a more mature woman. I would _love_ to hear that. I hope we all get to hear it. Can't wait.

This album is a masterpiece. Lauryn Hill's transcendent talent is on full display with top notch songwriting, beat-making, arranging, lyricism, singing, and rapping. The music is personal, political, and utterly self-assured. Her blend of hip hop innovation and classic soul/pop sensibilities has left a monumental legacy evident in artists ranging from Kayne West to Janelle Monae. Favourite track: Too many to name, but I can never get enough of "Ex-Factor"

Most overrated album of the last decades

made my morning feel like a month

It's an incredibly moving album. Beautiful and mature.

Still probably the best female MC of all time. This album is fantastic in about every way. Lauryn is also the most equal in talent between rapping and singing

Modern classic. Perfect blend of neo-soul and rap. All the singles are fantastic, especially Everything Is Everything

A great mix of hip-hop with R&B, soul and reggae. This is such a confident and skillful debut and has a great legacy for a very good reason

Woooooahhhhhh wooooaaaahhhhhh one star

I think this is the first album in the 70-odd that I've been presented with on this project that I feel everyone should listen to at least once in their lives. It is very clear that Ms Hill poured her heart and soul into every recording on the album, and the result is quite beautiful. I would give this album 10 stars if I could and it's definitely going into my Tidal library.

Loved the bits from the classroom talking about love. The album was sonically great, and the lyrics were interesting as well. There was R&B, hip hop, and even some reggae. Cool album, would definitely listen to it again.

Lauryn is talented as hell

Pre listening - I'm not going to like this. I detest rap and dislike hip hop - I hope this is better than that. Track 1 - Intro - 40 seconds and not even a pretence of bring music Track 2 - Lost Ones - Standard hip hop - awful Track 3 - Ex-Factor - OK song, but with really annoying sound efects added - why? Track 4 - To Zion - A Santana collaboration - which is to say pure Carlos Santana - average for him Track 5 - Doo Wop(That Thing) More hip hop - slightly better than Lost Ones Track 6 - Superstar yet more Hip Hop - irritating At this point I stopped. She obviously is a hip hop artist, which is a shame because from what I heard she has good voice, just needs some real music

really not a fan. two stars? i made it through, but barely.

What do you call it when something is both overrated and underrated? That’s exactly how I feel about The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. This paradox perfectly reflects its dual status: a genre-defining debut that was much lauded upon its release and still sparks debate about its true ranking in music history. The album encapsulated the zeitgeist of hip-hop’s crossover success in the late ’90s and propelled Hill to an unprecedented level of fame—particularly for a rapper, let alone a female one. It shattered barriers for women in hip-hop and neo-soul, elevating the genre's artistic credibility. Revisiting the album after years, I’m struck by how well it holds up even after over two decades. The opening sequence—Lost Ones, Ex-Factor, To Zion, and Doo Wop (That Thing)—is nothing short of phenomenal. Hill’s intricate wordplay and fiery delivery on Lost Ones set the tone, while the raw vulnerability of Ex-Factor remains as powerful as ever. On To Zion, her ode to motherhood paired with Carlos Santana’s soulful guitar creates an intimate masterpiece. Doo Wop (That Thing) blends sharp social commentary with irresistible grooves, highlighting her ability to create both hits and messages. The album continues its momentum with standout tracks like Final Hour, a brilliant showcase of Hill’s lyrical precision and spiritual introspection, and Everything Is Everything, where her hopeful energy is underscored by rich instrumentation. Even Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Hill’s playful yet powerful reinterpretation of a classic, leaves a lasting impression. Throughout, Hill masterfully blends neo-soul, hip-hop, reggae, R&B, and gospel, delivering moments of genuine greatness. Her songwriting is deeply personal but resonates universally, balancing sharp, rhythmic flows with deeply emotive ballads. Recently named the number one album on Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums list, the accolade feels, at best, highly subjective and, at worst, borderline trolling. It’s debatable whether this is even the best album Hill was involved with in the ’90s (The Score with The Fugees is a strong contender). Still, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill has undeniably influenced countless artists, from Beyoncé to Kendrick Lamar, cementing its place in music history. The fact that this stands as Hill’s only studio album makes it a singular, unrepeatable statement—simultaneously a gift and a tragedy for fans of her artistry. Did/Do I own this release? Yes, I own this release—if you can call a collection of mismatched, wrongly titled MP3s "ownership." Does this release belong on the list? For sure. Would this release make my personal list? It’s a strong contender because of her sheer versatility. Will I be listening to it again? At least half of these songs, like Ex-Factor and Doo Wop (That Thing), are truly timeless and deserve their enduring acclaim.

One album after giving Skepta a (high) two on the basis of interludes and excessive length, we have this which also has interludes and is even longer. But this gets away with it because of the quality of the material. Hill's voice, whether rapping or singing, is great. The singles are excellent (esp. Doo Wop). Slightly drops off in the second half, but still sneaks into a five.

lives up to every piece of hype

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is a classic, perhaps the greatest melding of hip-hop/R&B, soul/reggae. It’s a feminist statement of power and independence. Hill is a fantastic lyricist and M/C first and foremost 9.1/10

Amazing, generation-defining album.

Straight up fire 🔥

It took me a while to process "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" and decide how to review it, just like it takes a while for Lauryn Hill to show up for her concerts. But regardless of the many meandering journeys Hill's career has taken since the release of this album, it remains a masterpiece. There are a few duds scattered among the 16 tracks, but there are so many standout classics that a boring track or two can be excused. The most interesting thing about "Miseducation," though, is Hill's ability to reach such a peak only to never find it again. There have been plenty of one-hit wonders, but Hill's output with the Fugees and in her solo debut go well beyond one-hit status, but the twists and turns of her career and life have prevented audiences and fans from ever really seeing if she could sustain the success through a second album and beyond. It's fairly common for a musician to have a hit and then fade away, but it feels much less common for a singer to create such a masterpiece and then have no meaningful follow-up.

Annie loves this one. For good reason. It's a crown jewel of 90s hip hop, right? And, Lauryn Hill is just so cool. Babe too. Sister Act 2 babeliness. Her voice is so great. Raps and melodies. And, just, like, the smoky sound of her voice is so appealing. This record jams. As a musician, I'm inclined to attribute this to her excellent band. But really, it's 80% Hill. She carries everything, including the Fugees. This record makes that clear. Her multi-tracked vocal harmonies are other-worldly. She uses harmony intervals that set her apart from others. Like CSNY and Alice in Chains do. Only with soul and attitude and smokiness. God this is so good.

Her only solo album, and it continues to have more impact and appeal than many other artists have in their entire careers. Your mileage may vary on the brief interludes interspersed throughout the album (I'll admit, I'd rather they weren't included, but thankfully there aren't so many that they become annoying), but my God, there's not a clunker in the bunch of songs. I can't get enough of "Ex-Factor" and "When It Hurts So Bad". Reminds me a lot of Nina Simone, Nenah Cherry and even Joni Mitchell while still being it's own unique thing. This album deserves the praise it continues to receive, and my hunch is a major reason Lauryn Hill never really even tried to make another album is because she knew nothing could top this. By the way, my rating takes into consideration the 2 hidden tracks: the cover of "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" and "Tell Him". They might be my 2 favorite Lauryn Hill songs, and they're what puts the album over the top into 5 territory.

A fantastic collection of what the 90s hip hop sound was.

sem defeitos

MS LAURYN HILL

Very cool album

The classroom samples were really cool and furthered the message of love. After looking at the background of the album I had a greater appreciation for Laura and her life struggles. Never really got into soul but I think this was a good introduction

amazing. a cultural staple.

Classic hip-hop album. Great R&B vibes with great writing and rap over the beats

Classic for a reason

One of the tip top hip hop albums of all times. Magnificent.

I FUCKING LOVE THIS ALBUM.

Classic

10/10

Didn't like it at first, but it's a masterpiece

Straight fire. Classic through and through.

false

Smart, confident hip hop, with reggae and soul running through.

Now I get it. I loved this

I really like how some of the songs are connected through the theme of a classroom. Overall, album is really solid. Every song is really well made and transitions well between each other. Only problem is it is a little long.

The more concept albums I hear, the less I appreciate concept albums in general. This one still easily falls on the good side of the concept album spectrum, which is refreshing. The production is really nice to me, borders on super slick 90s pop style while still sounding pretty organic and loose. Very good stuff.

Apple's recently announced top album of all time. I had never listened to this record but I've been meaning to. It feels very personal and intimate. Her range on this record is very impressive. I love the themes of love and stuff as well. The snippets of conversations really made it feel intimate. I can appreciate this album a lot but in the end, it's just not really a genre that captivates me.

The album is so human. I don't know how else to put it. It acknowledges and adresses many of the things that influence us, religion, school, our peers, societal constructs. The beats are driving and the songs were written in the context of each other in a way that is missing from many albums. This was a cohesive project and tells a clear (and well articulated) story from beginning to end.

Quite clearly a fantastic album. This time through I noticed the musical flourishes, that are a little tricky to pick up when you’re too busy being wowed by Hill’s seamless transitions between forceful rhyming and soulful singing. I’m talking about that feeling in Lost Ones that the whole song is about to blow up, but the firm hand on the production that prevents it from doing so; I’m talking about the background voices that make Doo Wop (That Thing) sound like a hmm-ing room full of girlfriends. My only gripe, and it’s a mild one, is that I don’t quite feel the album sustains it all the way through, but when it hits it hits hard.

In my lifetime, I’ve made three or four attempts to get into this album to understand the hype behind it. My conclusion is that it is mediocre - nice instrumentals but a bit too long and few standout moments. It’s just pretty bland R&B with hip-hop drums and a bit of rapping. There’s a couple of great tracks (Lost Ones and Doo Wop), but the rest is pretty boring.

🎧Handful of really amazing songs, but pretty bloated overall. There’s probably a damn near perfect album in here if trimmed down to a single LP. Skits/dialogue are annoying and unnecessary too. Standout songs: Ex- Factor, Doo Wop (That Thing), Everything is Everything.

I’ve always known of this album but never actually knew the songs, it’s REALLY good, the interludes at the end of the tracks Jam the pace a tad but the songs are still good enough to keep it as a 5/5

10/10 Favorite Tracks: Ex-Factor, To Zion, Can't Take My Eyes Off of You Least Favorite: NONE

Awesome album

Grat

Best of the best. Soundtrack of my summer of 1998.

Great

01) Intro - / 02) Lost Ones - 8,5 03) Ex-Factor - 10,0 04) To Zion - 10,0 05) Doo Wop (That Thing) - 10,0 06) Superstar - 9,0 07) Final Hour - 8,5 08) When It Hurts So Bad - 8,5 09) I Used to Love Him - 8,5 10) Forgive Them Father - 9,0 11) Every Ghetto, Every City - 8,5 12) Nothing Even Matters - 8,5 13) Everything Is Everything - 10,0 14) The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - 9,0 15) Can't Take My Eyes Off of You - 10,0 16) Tell Him - 8,5 TOTAL: 9,10 (91/100) Current ranking: 35/414

Not a huge rap fan but holy shit

Every song a banger, loving the Marley influences throughout. Liked the little interviews in the classroom too.

One of my all-time favorite albums! Lauren Hill is a Classic.

Lauryn Hill is one of the best female rappers and this is easily one of the best rap albums of the 90’s… just flawless

Lieb ich

It exceeded expectations. It's a good album. I probably won't ever listen to it again, but I'm glad I did listen to it.

Really cool album, even tho a bit long, i think it had a great artistic value.

Fundamental

Ive listenend to this before and its a classic

Gotta be top 3 most influential albums in hip hop. I heard a lot about it before listening and it did not disappoint

Yet another hip-hop album, 3rd in 10, but one that I have listened to, and like, a lot. It has recently been voted best album ever by Apple Music, it’s not that, but it is very, very good. I can hear a direct line from ‘70s soul like Donny Hathaway and Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley too. Strange that she never made another but perhaps Miseducation said everything she needed it to…

This is a landmark record. So good. It's interesting and sad that Lauryn Hill only made one studio album. She kind of dropped the mic and exited the building.

It had been a while since I listened to this, so I was wondering "is it really as good as I remember it/the critics say?" And was expecting to be disappointed. But, nope. Just really solid album with nearly no missteps.

Genre-breaking classic. Ripping out of the gate by telling us precisely what she's about--and maybe signalling why fame and acclaim were never going to work for her: It's funny how money change a situation My emancipation don't fit your equation I was on the humble, you on every station ...then juking every expectation by following up this hip hop track with the lovesick 'Ex-Factor'...before juking again to the gospel-inflected ode to her first born son, 'To Zion.' & that's just the first 3 tracks. It's weird to almost think of her in the same veing as Amy Winehouse since Amy is gone - but it seems like maybe fame did a similar number on Ms. Hill, making it impossible for her to put anything else on this level out. I guess we should be grateful we got this album at all.

Outstanding album but I think understanding the context behind the songs and the general hip-hop/rap landscape at its time of release is crucial to fully appreciating it.

This was one of the albums that was bought as part of my high school CD buying / sharing group - I always loved it when it was my turn! 'I used to love him' and 'Everything is Everything' are two personal faves, I'm not so big on 'Doo Wop' and a few other tracks - but this album still stands up well today and I loved having it on all day today. This is an awesome album for Hill to put out after the success of Fugees The Score (which I also love) full of passion, heartbreak, self love and female power. I have always enjoyed the little skits between tracks in albums, and I remember this one coming out while I was in high school, so I think I really connected with the concept. This album is very nostalgic for me, so this will probably influence my rating - though to be fair I think it is an amazing album of a powerhouse performer (even though sounds like she might be a bit problematic as an individual)!

é o único album dela. imagina ce fazer UM ALBUM SÓ e ser a maior pedrada do r&b/hip-hop das últimas 3 décadas. que absurdo. é, tem jeito não. vou te falar que eu conhecia o album mas nunca tinha escutado absolutamente nada dele. achei lindíssimo e singelo, a lauryn hill consegue ser vulnerável, direta e até agressiva quando precisa, sem medo nenhum. muito bem produzido, super bem feito. nem quero parecer precoce, mas acho que esse é um dos melhores da lista, de verdade. no mais, fiquei hypado. dois dias seguidos com 5 estrelas tô animado.

Fantastic

My review disappeared.

I gave this 4 when it topped the Apple Music list because I don’t think it’s the best of all time. It’s definitely really a 5 tho.

Another game changer. A brilliant album that changed the world. ‘That thing’ is a stone cold lay down misere classic. The sketches are decent. The album flows. It’s perfectly sequenced. It opens the game wide open. Still hugely influential. 30000 stars. Genius only has to be genius once. So with no follow up (so far) her position is secure. If her next album is Happy birthday in A quarter flat minor with Lauren intoning the ingredients of a dog food can in monotone she’s still a genius.

I mean, does it deserve anything less?

oh come on. no contest. 5 stars

Estoy enamorado de este disco, del concepto, de que se oiga pasar lista en la clase, de todo. Un disco perfecto ejemplo de esa época y de todo lo que me gustaba del hip-hop/rap o lo que sea.

This is a modern classic. It transcended boundaries at the time and brought forward a new wave of femal hip hop stars that followed in her trail. The soul, the voice, the composition and songs are all top tier. Having the balls to leave Everything is Everything to the second last track of an album lasting over an hour is amazing for the time. Its a shame she is now as mad as a bag of cats as id have loved to have witnessed what she could have gone on to do

Outstanding

classic

Now this is an album that I had high expectations for. I mean, how could I not? Between Apple Music calling it the greatest album ever made, the overwhelmingly high praise I've seen for it online, and my own experience with Lauryn Hill's former group Fugees, there was a lot of high pressure for me to like The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. So, did this album meet my expectations? Of course it did. This album's phenomenal. Would I call it the greatest album of all time? No. Absolutely not. However, aside from that one list, this album is properly rated. It truly is as amazing as people have said it is. Lauryn Hill was my favorite part of that Fugees album, so hearing her get to shine on her own here was great. Her singing and rapping is impeccable. Of course, she isn't totally alone. The features on this album are quite strong. The skits actually add to the theming of the albums, which is something that they kind of need to do. The actual songs are all great too. I especially love "Doo Wop (That Thing)." The themes of the album are also nice. The focus on things like love, spirituality, and gender are very welcome in an album like this. Despite lasting for 77 minutes, this album really doesn't drag. It's a bit long, but the time is spent well. Overall, this is a wonderful album that serves as an excellent showing of talent from Ms. Lauryn Hill. This album is truly one of a kind. Literally! She only released one album. I guess that technically makes this her worst solo studio album too. Let's not think about that. This album's amazing. 5/5.